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Dan Gilbert continues on “Webward”

It started with just a few mentions in press releases, but Dan Gilbert's use of the word "Webward" to reference a portion of Woodward Avenue appears to be growing.

For a little background, he started using the term to refer to the growing collection of tech-oriented companies in the Campus Martius area of Detroit.

It started with Compuware. Then Marketing Associates, then Galax-E Solutions and then Quicken Loans Inc. and its group of affiliated companies. There certainly is a growing roster of tech companies in that area.

And Gilbert appears to be serious about using the Webward name.

Most recently I found it in the Wayne County Register of Deeds office.

Most investors use a limited liability company to purchase real estate. Gilbert's recent acquisition of the Chase Tower in Detroit was no different. The seller, Gary Torgow, used 611 Associates LLC as the name for the building, which is at 611 Woodward Ave.

Guess what name Gilbert used?

Look up the title work for Chase Tower and you'll find 611 Webward LLC.

So it got me going. Where else is "Webward" popping up?

Online? Yep.

A quick search of domain name ownership showed someone at Quicken lays claim to at least four Webward websites, none of which are active yet. The URLs webwardavenue.net, webwarddetroit.com, webwarddetroit.info and webwarddetroit.net are all filed under the name Justin Paul, who has a quicken loans email address.

I called the phone number on the file, and the voice mail was for someone named "Paul." Of note: Associate corporate counsel for Quicken is Paul Justin.

Also, looking at some of the LLCs out there I found that 611 Webward isn't the only Webward-oriented LLC Gilbert's group has.

There are six LLC names that are all filed by the same attorney at Honigman who filed for 611 Webward. Among the names: "Webward Avenew LLC," and please note, that the spelling of the word "Avenew" is purposeful.

I also checked on the name used by Gilbert's group recently to buy the Madison Theater building in Detroit. Quicken used "Madison Theater Building LLC" as the related ownership entity.

It was an uncharacteristically traditional name, I thought. But then I looked up the affiliated LLC names.

The Madison LLC is tied to Motech@Madison.

Motech? Is that the next Webward? I asked the folks at Quicken and haven't heard back yet. I'll update this when I hear.

We'll have to stay tuned for this one.

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